Project No. 24/2026 –
Purchase of an Embroidery Machine
for Vocational Training in Ndola, Zambia

Province of the Franciscan Protomartyrs in Zambia of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual has proposed Educational, social and self-sustainability Project No. 24/2026, entitled “Equipment for Embroidery Training,” aimed at strengthening the activities of the Twikatane Ndola Vocational Training Centre (TNVTC) and promoting concrete opportunities for vocational training and employment for young people and women from socially and economically disadvantaged communities.

The TNVTC is located at the Franciscan Centre in the city of Ndola, in an area characterized by low-income neighborhoods. The institution was founded by volunteers from Italy in collaboration with Friar Umberto DAVOLI (1939–2016), a Conventual Franciscan missionary, with the aim of supporting the less privileged members of the city through vocational training and human development programs. Since its foundation, the Centre has been committed to teaching practical skills to vulnerable young people from disadvantaged communities, furthering their path toward social and financial self-sufficiency.
As a non-profit organization, the TNVTC has always relied on the generosity of benefactors and supporters to ensure its operation and development. In recent years, however, the gradual reduction in support from some long-standing donors has made it necessary to identify new strategies to strengthen the Centre’s financial sustainability. In response to this situation, the Centre has launched income-generating activities connected to the vocational training programs that it offers to its students.
The project involves the purchase of an embroidery machine for use in the fashion, design, cutting, and tailoring sectors—programs that train at least forty young people each year, particularly women from disadvantaged communities. This equipment will enhance the quality of the training offered, allowing students to gain the technical expertise required by the job market and to develop new professional skills in a sector that is constantly growing in Zambia.
The embroidery industry is, in fact, a sector with a growing demand for skilled workers. Thanks to this specialized training, students will be able to access new employment opportunities, collaborate with local designers, start their own businesses, or create products for the fashion and tourism sectors. The use of the embroidery machine will also foster creativity, innovation, problem-solving skills, and attention to detail—valuable skills for the participants’ professional futures.
This investment will contribute not only to the students’ professional growth but also to the development of the Center’s productive activities, furthering its path toward greater financial self-sustainability. At the same time, the project will support the growth of the local fashion and textile sector, making a concrete contribution to the social and economic development of the local population.

The project is currently in the fundraising phase.

Project Information

  • Conventual Franciscan Jurisdiction: Province of the Franciscan Protomartyrs in Zambia
  • Country: Zambia
  • Location: Ndola (Diocese of Ndola)
  • Type of Project: Educational, social and self-sustainability project
  • Date of Proposal: 2026
  • Direct Project Coordinator:
  • Direct and Indirect Beneficiaries:
    • The students of the Twikatane Ndola Vocational Training Centre
    • The young people and women from disadvantaged communities in the city of Ndola
    • The families of the beneficiaries and the local population
    • The local fashion and textile sector
  • Total Project Cost:
    • €16,412.80
  • Contribution from the Local Community:
    • €4,103.20
  • Contribution Requested:
    • €12,309.60
  • Current Project Status:
    • Fundraising ongoing to purchase an embroidery machine for the vocational training programs of the Twikatane Ndola Vocational Training Centre.

Update
– September 2026

Project No. 24/2026 has been fully funded through a contribution of €12,300.45 from “Con il Cuore, nel nome di Francesco,” a charitable telethon organized by the friars of the Sacred Convent of St. Francis in Assisi. Any differences from the estimated total cost will be covered by the local community. The funding will enable the purchase of an embroidery machine for training activities at the Twikatane Ndola Vocational Training Centre, strengthening vocational training and employment opportunities for young people and women from disadvantaged communities in Ndola, Zambia.

Projects Office

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